The One Better Off
by The Sage of Spirits
Summary: Both were split apart. The son, cold and conniving, was raised by his father, being forced to keep his relation a secret. The daughter, warm and happy, was raised with the Chosen, knowing nothing of her family. Which one truly is the one better off?
1. Prologue: Separation

_**The Sage of Spirits:** Well, this is one of my new stories - mainly the one that's been bugging the heck out of me by showing scenes while I was asleep... That's one conniving dream story.  
**Lloyd:** No kidding.  
Lloyd!  
**Lloyd:** What...? Who's that?!  
**Me:** Oh, just my new OC. This is a twin-fic. Not like the annoying ones where the OC is the one being raised by Kratos (although I do read Li-chan's Silence, that one's good.)... Oh no; this one's where it's LLOYD - not the OC - who gets raised by Kratos.  
**Lloyd:** -slight maniacal laughing- Ah, I should have known - a Cruxis Lloyd Twin Fic.  
Yep! Hey, why's my name not revealed?  
**Me:** Umm... they don't know who you are yet. Wow, it's weird having an OC in the author's notes... _O.o_ Someone deal with the disclaimer please.  
**Lloyd:** I'VE got it taken care of. Sage owns nothing.  
**Me:** Please read!

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**The One Better Off**

**Prologue: Separation**

A fierce battle was waging in the dead of night within the boundaries of the forest of Iselia. A powerful man stood in front of his two children in an effort to protect them from suffering the same fate as their late mother, whose body lay behind them – a bloody mess. The two children constantly changed their nervous and scared glances between each other, onto their father, and then finally onto their mother's corpse – and back to each other and the process continued on. The family pet stood behind the two children, holding the rear strong, although being wounded from the blows from the now deceased woman.

The whole area of the forest smelled of fresh, wet blood as corpses laid all over the grounds, soaking the ground with the red liquid. The trees' normally full branches were empty of any bird or mammal, as the eerie silence filled the air. The man's vision being that of better quality than the normal man, he scanned the premise in an attempt to find the one he needed to slaughter in order to avenge his wife's death.

Seeing nothing even with his increased eyesight, he began to grow worried; the silence was to awkwardly silent for him to let his guard down now. "Noishe…" The man called his trusty pal over as he went over to his beloved and carried her bridal-style in his arms. "Come, we must hurry out of the forest before they launch a second strike…" He began, when the cackling of a voice echoed through the trees; within the gap in the branches crouched the Desian Grand Cardinal himself.

His eyes held a constant squint, a wicked sneer of satisfaction curled onto his lips. "Ah, Kratos, are you looking for this?" The man said as he held up a crystalline object that glowed a light red from the shinning moonlight. The man named Kratos widened his eyes as the object became clear in his mind that that was the cause of his wife's demise.

A fury growing within him, he placed the corpse softly onto the ground and ordered the pet to take off with the two children and provide them with protection until he arrived. Noishe knelt down towards the ground, allowing the young boy and girl to climb onto his soft yet durable fur. Telling the children to hold on tight, Kratos watched as the creature sped off to keep his children safe.

"This time there are no more innocent lives for you to toy around with Kvar! I will be taking that exsphere back!" He said as he unsheathed his sword, charging at the man at full speed. Kvar instantly countered with his staff, placing the exsphere safely onto his weapon – Kratos obviously knew Kvar was going to try and amplify his magic with _Anna's_ exsphere.

Kratos charged at the man, or rather more so to the staff that held his beloved's exsphere, and slashed hard onto the wooden stick, causing a nick in the wood. Kvar brought his staff up into a defensive position as Kratos continually pummeled the wooden staff at the source of the cut until it broke apart; the head of the weapon that held the crystal rolled away from the two men. Kratos brought out his azure wings and flew straight into the piece of wood and quickly picked it up, smiling with confidence.

"I'd hand that over, Kratos…" Kvar began, snapping his fingers. Kratos saw with horror as his two children, a tired and injured Noishe, and his beloved Anna's corpse trapped on a ledge by the Desians. "Or do you want your family thrown over the cliff?" He said as his wicked smile returned onto his face; he was going to make this 'inferior being' pay dearly for his traitorous actions…

Kratos gave his own little smirk at the squinting man. "What are you planning? I have you in a tight situation! How can you be smirking at ME?!" Kvar shouted; Kratos remained quiet as he warped in front of his family as he placed the exsphere in his son's tiny hands.

"Hold onto that tightly for Daddy okay, Lloyd?" He said as he looked down onto the young boy; his soft brown hair partially covered his brown eyes.

"Okays, Daddy." He replied. Kratos removed his sword and swiftly took down the Desian that stood the closest to him. However, Kvar was not about to play fair; he took what was left of his broken staff and sent forth a tremendous amount of energy from within him; the lightning strike cut through the ground, sending the twin boy and girl, the corpse, the pet and the exsphere over the edge.

Kratos watched in horror as he froze; what was he to do…? What was he to do?! "Kvar!" He shouted in bloody fury. "Light of the heavens, cast thy purifying light upon these souls – rest in peace sinners!" He said as he began to glow brightly; the clouds that were floating overhead began to open up, as if by some divine force willed them to move. "Judgment!" He shouted, pointing his palm at the Desians.

"No! Kratos, you inferior being!" Kvar shouted as beams of pure light rained from the sky, killing off all those unfortunate enough to be within the line of fire. As the beams continued to fall, Kratos himself jumped off of the cliff's rugged edge, off to search for his broken family. Kvar instantly saw his opportunity to ruin the man's chances of finding them as he called for the Leader of the Angels…

Kratos unfurled his sapphire wings and instantly used his angelic capabilities to its fullest in order for him to find any trace of the twins. Within twenty-five yards, Kratos could hear the sounds of sniffling and tears of one of his lost children. What luck! Fate smiled upon him, even on this terrible event!

His luck ran out as he grew tired and weary; he began to shout out his children's names, hoping that they could follow his frantic voice and head towards him, even as he grew even more tired. He landed hard up the ground, but still got onto his feet; Anna would not have wanted him to give up so easily.

_Please Anna… Help me find our children... I beg of you, please…_ He begged in his thoughts as he slowly walked on.

"Daddy!" A voice shouted, rising up Kratos's hopes. A voice! Is it really true that one of the twins were alive? Or was it simply a ruse from his own imagination, trying to appease him in the hopes of-

"Daddy!" It was NOT an imagination from within his mind! One or both of his children were okay and safe!

"Lloyd?! Tana?! I'm coming!" He shouted into the air, hoping that his voice carried on in the night, as nature intended that the winds should not blow this evening. Finding the energy to trot on through the forest foliage, he eventually came upon a tiny figure, badly bruised. Using whatever mana he could find in the exhausted forest, he managed to heal the boy enough to save his life. "Lloyd!" He yelled, taking the sniffling boy into his arms; Lloyd wrapped his tiny arms around the man. "Lloyd, where is Tana and Noishe?"

"I no knozs…" He said. "I gives Tana the thingy. We go faw and I no knozs wers Tawna…" He continued as Kratos rocked the boy to quiet him down. As if in perfect timing to ruin the tender moment, a blond-haired, rainbow-winged angel appeared behind him.

"Ah, there you are Kratos; I half-expected you to be in severe mourning. I wonder why… Aah… I see. So you have found one of YOUR twins…" He said with a snarl; this would ruin his chance to…

_Wait... I think I've got it!_ He shouted in his mind. "Kratos… come back with me; take the boy with you so you won't be alone." He said, hoping the move would work.

"No. I'm not going back. I'm going to find my daughter and continue to run away from you, Cruxis, everything that I had dared to stand up for." He said as he began to walk off, leaving the angel there. The blond haired angel grew furious; how DARE he try to continue and defy him! He charged at the man, holding him by his shoulders. "Yggdrasil! Let me go! I must find Tana!" He said as he tried to shake off the grip of the angel. Kratos began to glow red as he bent down in pain, but being ever so careful as to not drop his son; he held the young toddler in his arms with a deathly grip.

"I've temporarily turned off your ability to warp, Kratos. A shame, isn't it? You not being able to warp, but I can, and that I can warp any number of people I wished with me?" He sneered proudly, never releasing his grip off of the man's shoulders. "Now, you and your SON are coming with me." He said as he began to take off into the sky.

"Daddy, me scard…" Lloyd whispered into his ear; Kratos pulled and pulled with all of his might, but he could not break free.

"No! Tana! Tana!!" He shouted as he traveled upward into the high heavens…

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_**Me:** Whelp, that's that!  
**Lloyd:** Yes it is.  
**Tana:** Aww... -hugs Lloyd- Don't join Cruxis please, Lloyd?  
**Lloyd:** Sorry, but it looks like I am. -evil grin-  
**Me:** Alrighty then! Review please!_


	2. Time of the Oracle

_**The Sage of Spirits:** Finally chapter 1... You know, I really love the intro to this chapter for some reason.  
**Lloyd:** Oh? Why is that?  
**Me:** I don't know. I somehow got the idea - but I disclaim it, as the idea came from FFXII... _n.n"  
_**Tana: **Huh?  
**Me:** Oh, nothing... Disclaim please. _n.n  
_**Lloyd:** Sage owns nothing.  
**Me:** Sorry, it's a bit shorter than normal..._ _You see, what I had, it was going to be shorter than this, so I added on to the scene..._ n.n' _Please read!

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**The One Better Off**

**Chapter 1: Time of the Oracle**

_**It has been fourteen years now since I have seen my daughter, Tana, on that fateful day – I am afraid to say that she is with my beloved Anna… However, her older twin brother, Lloyd, is alive; he came with me to Derris-Kharlan, where he became a part of Cruxis. As my son, he became an elite member of Cruxis, as it pertained in his birthright. He soon became the replacement to Martel, taking her place as one of the Four Seraphim.**_

_**I have raised him as best as I could, and he turned into a fine young man, a strong twin-swordsman. Why he had chosen to wield twin swords, I will never know, but he enjoyed using them nonetheless. However, he is now merely a servant for Cruxis… His heart had closed off to all except Cruxis, Yuan and myself – I have to wonder if he still thought of his deceased sister, least of all remember her. I cannot mention her in front of him, for I do not know how he would react – he loved her dearly before they were separated, and he was most protective of her.**_

_**Today, the time had come for the young Chosen to go on her journey, and we were to accompany her on the journey; Lord Yggdrasil did not want to leave this particular Chosen to chance – as he normally did – for she may be the very one he had been searching for. I must take Lloyd with me during these times, as I want him to get an in-depth learning experience on the planet of Sylvarant, the Waning World. **_

_**It is time for me to go; I must fetch Lloyd, and be off – I am to sacrifice an innocent girl to Martel.**_

**_Memoirs of Kratos Aurion  
__The Day of Prophecy_**

Kratos closed the book and placed it in his safe place, knowing that no one would be able to find it. He then walked out of his room to head to his son's room, which was adjacent to his own; he decided to check up on the boy, to see if he was ready to go. He walked through the metal doorway, into the red and white-painted room. Lloyd's wingpack was sitting on the bed, his red covers folded neatly. In the corner sat Lloyd, looking at a photo of some sort on his desk. Kratos walked over and mentally gasped.

"Lloyd, that picture…" Kratos said as he saw the picture of his three-year old daughter together with the three-year old Lloyd. "So, you do think of her?" he asked, looking at the brown-haired teen.

"Yeah. Not everyday, but once every so often; I haven't thought about them in years actually. I normally think of her and Mom at the same time, and I thought that before I left for the journey I'd think about them for a bit. Are you ready to go?" he said, his eyes becoming stern, a smirk growing on his face; he had been waiting for this moment ever since he knew he was being given this assignment alongside his father.

"Yes, I am. Let us go then." Kratos said, handing the boy his wingpack; within moments, they warped down the Tower of Salvation onto the grounds outside of the pearl-white structure.

With their destination set and their plans laid out, they took off for the western skies toward the Village of Oracles. Within two hours of flying, they reached the village. Kratos turned to the boy, who nodded.

"Remember Lloyd, do not call me 'Dad' or you will give us away from the very start." he told him as a conniving smirk grew on the boy's face.

"Of course… Sensei." Lloyd replied back as he descended down to the village, Kratos flying toward the temple; he landed in the fields, the foliage providing him cover from curious eyes as he hid within the trees…

_(--The Schoolroom…--)_

"Alright, today we are going over the History of the Kharlan War." The teacher said as she walked to the chalkboard; all but three moaned at the lesson of the day: a young boy with silver hair – hair identical to the teacher, a girl with long blond hair and lastly another girl with long brown hair. Raine sighed into her hand; of course those three would enjoy it… "Alright, someone tell me where the treaty of the Kharlan War was signed." she said, turning from the chalkboard to the class.

The brown-haired girl raised her hand in a hopeless attempt to be called on; she knew the Professor would try to get class participation, but she liked to try anyway. The Professor mentally banged her head on her desk as she took her seat, seeing the only two hands that could recall the information. "Tana, where was the treaty signed?"

Tana stood up, shocked at these turn of events. "The treaty of the Kharlan War was signed at the Grounds of Kharlan." She said, sitting down when she finished her answer. Raine stood up again, raising her hand to her chin; she knew a question that would get every hand in the school to go up at once…

"Alright, who was the one that organized the meeting?" she asked, hoping to see that her efforts to teach the class were not in vane; this time three hands went up – a slight improvement she thought.

_Well,_ _maybe not, seeing who the third person is…_ Raine thought, watching as the blonde-haired girl raised her hand among the two who knew already. "Genis, how about you?" she said as the silver-haired boy stood up.

"Yes Raine." he said, a slightly cocky smile on his face. "The Hero, Mithos, organized the treaty between the two warring kingdoms to the Holy Ground of Kharlan." he said and sat down, ignoring the looks the rest of the class were giving him.

"Yes, and upon making the pact with the Goddess Martel, he sacrificed his life to save the Giant Tree, which later died despite the hero's hopeful attempts. With the death of the Giant Tree, the mana of the world diminished tremendously, and the Goddess Martel slept in despair as her beloved world was on the fringe of life and death." she paused to catch her breath; she noticed how the other students sat there as if they were trying to act as if they were paying attention.

_I give up…_ she sighed in her head. "The angels bear the Chosen One to awaken her from her slumber so that she may save the world she loved the most. Today is the Day of Prophecy. Chosen One, Colette." She paused as the blonde-haired girl rose from her seat. "What is the purpose of the Chosen's Journey?"

"It is a journey to awaken the Goddess Martel and to seal the Desians. By completing the trials of the Goddess at the seals, the Chosen is to head to the tower where the Goddess sleeps, and by awakening her, the world's mana is restored and the Desians are sealed away." she responded, sitting down upon finishing.

"Correct. I should have guessed you would have known that Colette." Raine chuckled, continuing on with the day's lesson. Tana sat at her seat, her elbow on her desk with her head in her hand as her brown eyes slowly closed, somehow losing interest; she suddenly sat up quickly.

_What's wrong with me? Father would not be happy if I slouched like this… _she thought, shifting her position so that she sat up straight. Colette looked over at her, curious as to what she was doing, when suddenly the sky flashed brilliantly; within a minute, the flash disappeared.

"Everyone settle down," Raine said as she walked to the door, "it seems that it is time for the Oracle to begin. I'm going to the chapel to see if they are ready." she said, heading through the door. Colette walked over to the young boy and started talking to him merrily; deciding not to bother the two, Tana sat at her desk, thinking about the day's lesson.

_I wish I could remember more about my family…_ she thought, looking at the bandaged exsphere on her right hand. That jewel was the only thing she had left of her mother, who had apparently died to protect her. She could not even remember how it came into her possession; the only thing she knew was that she had it. _Maybe I'll visit Mother when school let's out…_ she thought, until she heard the piercing scream of her younger foster sister Colette. Tana turned her head to where the sound came from and gasped.

Tana watched as she saw the rushing Colette, who had seen the white-robed priest stained with his own blood…

"Pastor!" Colette shouted, holding the man's head up so he might be able to talk slightly better. He was not to remain in this world much longer; his wounds were too grave. His chest was cut from what appeared to be a sword, where he was later stabbed; blood soaked into his white robes and continued to flow out of his wound.

"Chosen… The Desians came… and broke the treaty… They marched… to the temple… and launched an attack… The Oracle… you have to hurry…" he stopped, coughing tremendously as blood came out from his coughing. "I regret… not being able… to provide aide for you… my dear… Chosen… Good…bye…" he said, his arm falling limp and his eyes shutting forever.

"N-No!" Colette shouted, her head tilting downward as tears fell from her watery eyes. Ten minutes later, Tana saw the girl as she walked for the doorway, where she chased after the blonde-haired girl, grabbing her shoulder.

"Colette, where are you going?" Tana asked as Colette wiped the streaming tears with her sleeve.

"I'm… going to do the Oracle… Tana, I have to… If I don't the world won't be saved… And Desians or not, I'm going." she said; Tana smiled slightly.

"Give me a minute." she asked as she ran over to her desk, pulling out her knives and glaive pole. Sticking one of her knives into the pole, she placed her other knife in her special pouch on her waist. She then grabbed her bag – as well as Colette's bag – and went back to the younger girl. "I'm coming too – I promised that ever since that one day I would protect you. Come on." Tana smiled, looking over at the half-elf; he was up to something, but she did not know what.

After putting his books in his desk, he pulled out his kendema and stuck the ball and stick to his belt, grabbing his bag; he ran over to the two girls. "Hold it; I'm coming too – I'm worried about Raine. And I would like to explore the temple…" he mumbled to himself, a bright smile on his face.

"Are you sure? It will be dangerous." Both girls said at once, slightly overwhelming the boy.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine." he replied; the trio walked out of the schoolroom to the outdoors, where a blonde-haired man awaited them. Shocked at their arrival, he took a while before he spoke.

"Girls? What are you doing?" he asked. "The Desians just came by here. It's not safe."

"Father, I have to perform the Oracle today. If I don't, the world won't be saved." Colette said to the man, as if she were pleading with him to let her go. Sighing lightly, he did not know what to do.

"Genis, you should head on home. I'll vouch for you to Raine; you will not have to worry about her."

"I'm sorry, Frank, but I'm worried about Raine, and I don't want to leave them alone. I thank you for the offer though." Genis said politely, bowing his head a bit to the respectful man. Frank looked at the trio with concern for their safety.

"Excuse me." Frank heard someone say as he turned around to see the owner of the voice; the trio looked at the brown-haired teen with shock, not seeing him approach.

"Yes? What can I do for you?" The brown-haired teen looked at them with stern, intimidating red eyes, his expression unreadable to the four.

"I am looking for my Sensei. Have you seen a swordsman wondering around here?" he asked, his eyes staring as if they could pierce through the soul.

"Hmm… I do not think I have seen a swordsman around. What does he look like?" Frank replied warily to the unknown twin-swordsman. Lloyd felt the tension in the air and mentally sighed; he knew he had to lighten up slightly. His eyes' deathly gaze lightened as he began to speak again.

"Auburn hair that slightly covers his right eye; his facial expressions are rather stoic. He was last wearing a purple outfit with a swallowtail cape of the same color. He works as a mercenary and my teacher." Lloyd responded to the now relaxing man. Lloyd mentally sighed to himself again; he was too much like his father…

"I have not seen anyone like that in the village. Do you know what he was planning to do?" Lloyd had turned his head to the northern pathway, knowing full well that it led to the Temple of Martel. "Young man?" Frank asked, slightly offended.

"Huh? Oh, my apologies." Lloyd said, bowing his head slightly in respect. "My manners are usually more… refined than that. I was distracted at that pathway over there. Does it happen to lead to a temple?" he asked politely, waiting for the response of the man.

"Yes, it does. Was he seeking work?" Frank asked the young man, who nodded his head. "Then he must be there. The High Priestess, Phaidra, would know if there was any need of mercenary work. I would suggest going there." he told the boy, whose hands lay on the hilts of his swords.

"I see… Thank you, I will head there now." Lloyd said and turned toward the northern path. He was about to walk out of the village when he heard the blonde-haired man calling for him. "Yes? Do you need me to do something?"

"Yes, if you do not mind." Frank said as he ran after him; Tana, Colette and Genis trailed after the man. "First, what is your name?" he asked.

"Ah, I never said my name? I am Lloyd."

"I see… Lloyd… Since you have been training with a mercenary, am I right to assume that you know how to skillfully wield your swords?" he said, watching as the teen began to smile with slight arrogance. Lloyd removed one of his swords from his scabbard, revealing the metallic blade. "I assume this will do for you?" he said, slowly sheathing the sword as he noticed the approval of the man.

"Would you mind watching over these three? I do not want these children getting hurt while they are heading for the temple." he told the teen, who mentally groaned at these unexpected turn of events. "I can pay you for protecting them if you wish."

_Remember Lloyd, you are under the guise as a pupil and mercenary…_ he thought to himself as he raised his hand to his chin, making out his thought process. "I do not see why not. And you do not have to pay me much for it. Is three hundred gald too much?" he asked, looking at the shocked face of the man. "If it is I can…"

"Oh no, I was surprised that you asked that low price. Most people would at least do something like this for more than double your price. I will accept your offer; if you do not mind, I will pay you when you get back. That way I will know that they were safe."

Lloyd gently smiled. "That is fine with me. After all, I could not charge much with the way things are now. Shall we be going?" he said. Colette stepped toward the teen, bowing her head.

"I thank you for going with us!" she smiled happily at the teen, bowing. "I'm Colette Brunel!"

"Yes, thank you for escorting us. I'm Tana Brunel, Colette's older sister." Tana nodded her head politely; Lloyd mentally widened his eyes, gaping. "And this is Genis Sage, a friend of ours. Shall we get going? We need to get to the temple right away!" Tana shouted, leading the way to the exit, Colette and Genis following them out of the temple. Lloyd shook his head and charged after them, hoping to get in front of the trio.

Frank watched as they left, his thoughts ultimately hoping for their safety. _Good luck, all of you…_ he thought as he returned to his house.

Lloyd managed to get in front of the three, where he became lost in thought. _Tana… It cannot be… No, it is not true… She is merely another Tana… Come on Lloyd, snap out of it before you blow your cover! _he shouted in his head, when he noticed Colette running up to him.

"So… uh, Lloyd, where are you from?" she asked, smiling happily as she let go of his arm. Lloyd looked at her skeptically, wondering what she was up to.

"I have no real home; I merely travel with my Sensei." he said as he led them down the path.

"Oh… I'm sorry…" she said, closing her eyes slightly.

"Why are you apologizing?" Lloyd sighed, looking at the girl. After hearing yet another apology, he decided to simply drop the subject. Within ten minutes, they arrived at the steps of the temple. Lloyd looked around as he tried to find his father; he was nowhere in sight. _Where are you Dad?!_ he growled in his head, his mouth turning into a scowl as his hand turned into a fist.

"What's wrong Lloyd?" Colette asked, placing her hand on his fist as if she wanted to try and calm him. Lloyd turned his hand to the girl, his stern glare softening; he found that she certainly cared for him, a stranger. He lowered his head as a slight smirk appeared on his face; he could tell that she liked him.

_It seems that this will be fun playing with this girl…_ "I don't see my Sensei around, and I hear fighting going on up there…" Lloyd said, unsheathing his swords. Tana looked at Colette, who was watching the teen as he ran up the stairs.

"Colette, do you… like him?" she said, blushing slightly. She led the two up the stairs as she noticed that Colette nodded her head slightly; she mentally sighed.

_So she does like him… too…_ she thought sadly as they walked up the stairs. She spotted the teen as he stared at the brown-haired man that stood in front of the temple. That was when she spotted Phaidra behind the man and gasped; she ran up the stairs, Colette and Genis on her tail. "Grandmother!" she shouted; Lloyd turned around and glared slightly.

_What are they doing?! _he thought as he saw the three running toward him; Lloyd turned his attention to the man – he was wearing a gray robe as he stood between two other men who wore similar uniforms. _These pathetic Renegades think they can stop me… I'd expose them, but that would not be the best option right now… _he smirked, narrowing his eyes. _I do hope they are ready to die by my hand!_

"Colette, stay back! These Desians are here for you!" Lloyd shouted at the blonde, who paused in her step. Pulling her chakrams from off her back, she charged toward the teen, whose eyes widened slightly. "Colette! What are you doing?!"

"I cannot let you get hurt fighting for me! I'll help out!" she shouted back, throwing one of her chakrams at the charging "Desian." Lloyd ran towards the startled man, slicing diagonally upward across his chest; he took the hilt of his sword and rammed it into the bloody chest, causing him to wheeze with the lack of air. Tana, tired of watching (despite watching due to her slight shock), pulled out her glaive, blocking the "Desian's" sword.

"Genis, are you ready?!" she asked the half-elf boy; when she saw the fire balls flying past her, hitting the aggressive "Desian;" she got her answer. While he was stunned, she jumped back, slashing his left leg; he fell over in the pain. Botta stood there, thinking over what he should do when the thought hit him.

"Vidarr! We need you now!" he shouted to the temple, hoping to bring out the gigantic man from within. Suddenly, the ground was shaking violently as a giant man appeared from the building; he carried a mace in his left hand, an axe in the other. He slammed the mace down onto the ground.

"Do not get in our way." He said, lifting the mace again and swung it over his head. Lloyd temporarily sheathed his swords and crossed his arms; his defiant stance said all he needed to say.

_This is all fun and games, but where is Dad? He's missing all of this enjoyment... _he thought until he felt his presence wafting in the air. _Heh, that's just like you Dad… Coming to the rescue… _he said, closing his eyes. Vidarr saw the chance to strike the teen; he raised his swinging mace over his head as he prepared to strike.

"Lloyd!" Tana shouted, charging over to the teen, her glaive ready to strike. Colette and Genis kept to the backend; Colette took her stance to throw her chakram while Genis prepared another Fire Ball spell.

Lloyd quickly removed his swords from their scabbard. He knew full well that he could dodge the blow if need be, but he thought that he would give his father his chance to "save him." After all, what fun would it be to take all of the enjoyment of battle?

The next thing he heard was the clinging of metal as a smirk grew on the boy's face…

Lloyd opened his eyes to see the purple-clad mercenary standing in front of him; the giant man fell to the ground, his weapons falling off of him. Kratos turned his head to the boy as Lloyd bowed his head respectfully, his smirk saying all that needed to be said to the man.

"Sensei, I have been searching for you." he said, pounding his fists together after sheathing his swords.

"We shall talk later. We have people to defend." Kratos said; Lloyd joined the man in the front, just as Vidarr got himself straightened out…

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_**Me:** ...Heheh. _n.n  
_**Lloyd:** What's with you?  
**Me**: I'm listening to tv openings!  
**Lloyd:** W...What?  
**Me:** Tv openings for tv shows!  
**Tana:** Okay...?  
**Lloyd:** You telling me... -face palms-  
**Me:** Time for more tv openings! _n.n_ Review please!_


	3. Lost Daughter and Sister

_**The Sage of Spirits:** Chapter 2! Didn't expect this to be updated, did ya? _n.n  
_**Lloyd:** I thought you were working on another story.  
**Me:** I was. -shifty-eyes- But I had no idea on how to start that one, so I went with this one. _n.n"  
_**Tana: **Which one was it? It wasn't a Cruxis Lloyd one was it?  
**Me:** Of course it was. But I had trouble with it for some reason. _n.n'"_ Disclaim please._  
_**Lloyd:** Sage owns nothing.  
**Me:** I hope this chapter makes up for the shortness of the other chapter. _n.n' _Please read!

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_

**The One Better Off**

**Chapter 2: Lost Daughter and Sister**

Kratos and Lloyd ran towards the man quickly, just before the man managed to lift his mace into the air. Kratos took the hilt of his sword and poked him hard in the gut, causing him to wheeze slightly. Distracted, he did not notice the two grinning teens jumping into the air; they slashed down his arms, causing him to drop his weapons onto the ground.

"That… won't stop… me!" he roared, weakly punching the two with his fists. They flew through the air, landing on their backs.

"Tana! Lloyd!" Colette shouted, running over to the two. "Now I'm angry!" she yelled, preparing to throw her chakrams at the man in an unusual fit of rage. She angled her hands so the right distance could be made and she tossed them one after another. They crossed and slashed his torso, one scratch above the other. After catching them again, she ran over to Lloyd. "Lloyd, are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine…" he said, sitting up slowly. "Go check Tana…" he said; he noticed the look on his father's face, but shook his head. Now was not the time to explain.

Tana rolled over onto her stomach as she began to crawl out of the way. Genis saw the girl and tried to quickly finish his spell. "Fire Ball!" he shouted, aiming for the newly formed wounds – courtesy of Colette – and watched as the man finally collapsed. He then ran over to the girl, throwing her arm over his shoulder – as low as he was – and helped her over to Lloyd.

"Blast! I never thought of you showing up! We're leaving!" the man said, Vidarr slowly getting onto his feet. He followed the man as quickly as was possible – for a man in his condition.

"Are you alright, Lloyd?" she asked, shaking Genis to let go. She collapsed onto Lloyd's chest and started to blush. "Sorry…" she giggled weakly.

"That's okay," he said plainly, "but could you please move? Sensei would like to inspect us in case we need to be healed."

Tana blushed some more. "Oh… Okay…" she said, rolling off of him as he stood up, stretching himself for any injuries. "Wow, you seem to be fine, Lloyd." She said to the teen.

"I guess I was not hit as hard as I thought I was." he replied, extending a hand to the brown-haired girl. "Here, let me help you up so you can get healed by Sensei."

Tana stared at his face and froze. _He's so… handsome…_ she thought, shaking her head to get her out of her dreams. "Thanks…" she smiled, grabbing the hand. He threw her arm over his shoulder and led her to their father. Her blush deepened as she felt his strong chest.

"Sensei, I brought Tana to you. See if she needs to be healed." he said, watching as the old lady walked toward the trio. Kratos noted that she had a few scratches on her face – otherwise she was fine.

"You appear to be fine, but I better heal you anyway." he responded, entering his casting stance. "First Aid!" he said, his index finger touching the girl's shoulder. She could feel her injuries slowly heal as a green aura surrounded her face. "There."

"Uh… thank you…" she said as she touched her face to test the healing powers. She then turned to the elderly lady staring at her with concern. "Grandmother, I'm so glad you're safe!" she shouted, running over toward her as she opened her arms. Colette ran over to the two as well, and they embraced each other happily.

"So am I, dears." she replied as she turned her head slowly to the two angels. "Thank you for saving these two girls. I'm glad they were not hurt."

"It was no trouble. I had to find my pupil, when I heard that he went here – that was when I noticed the attack." Kratos said, turning his eye onto Lloyd. "I hope he did not cause you any problems."

Lloyd stared back at the man, angered, when Colette spoke. "O-Oh no! He was very helpful!" she shouted in his defense, shaking her head. "He protected us before you came!" she smiled brightly at the teen, hoping that she was helping him win over the man.

Kratos looked at Lloyd with curiosity (as what would have been expected of him). "Is that so?" he merely said, watching as the teen emotionlessly nodded his head. "Then you will merely get them minimum punishment for running off from me then." he turned his head to the boy, who sighed lightly. Although one thing lingered in his mind…

_I seriously hope Dad was kidding about that 'minimum punishment' thing…_ he chuckled weakly in his head…

"At any rate, Grandmother," Colette said as she let go of the elderly woman, trying to deter away the awkward silence, "I'm going to perform the trial." Tana released Phaidra as well, turning her head toward her sister.

"Oh, you mean the Goddess Martel's trial within the temple. I'll come along and protect you!" she smiled happily, pulling out her knives. Genis instantly grabbed his kendema and grinned.

"Me too." Phaidra looked at the two children with concern, a frown revealing on her face.

"Just you two? I would be worried if only were to go. And the Desians killed the priests that were to accompany her during the trial and later the journey…" she said, lowering her head towards the ground. Kratos perked up at the opening, and took it.

"I am Kratos, a mercenary. If you fear that these children are not capable of protecting her, my pupil and I can take on the job of watching over the girl I presume is the Chosen." he said coldly, looking at the four with hardened eyes. His gaze stayed on Tana's entire being as if he was examining her carefully.

Phaidra secretly smiled – although feeling saddened at the fact that she thought the two young ones were not strong enough (within good reason and worry, she told herself) – and nodded. "Under the circumstances, I have little choice. Please look after them." She said, turning for the path to the village. Tana, Colette and Genis hurried into the temple before Kratos could say a word.

Lloyd turned to the man, eyes distant. "Is she…my sister?" he asked simply, staring longingly at the temple doors. Kratos remained silent, trying to figure out what to say.

"I cannot be too certain. Just because she has the same name does not mean that she is our Tana. But if she is…" he paused, eyes turning strict. "…you are not to tell her that you are her twin brother." he said, watching as the teen's eyes widened in pain.

"W-What? Why can't I tell her?" he said, whining. "Doesn't she have the right to know…?"

"If she is in fact our Tana, she would not have remembered us – you were only three when you were separated. And I doubt that she had anything to remember us by." Kratos responded sadly, watching as Lloyd cast his eyes to the ground. "So you cannot tell her. But enjoy the time you do have, okay?" he told the boy, wrapping his arm around his back as he led them into the temple.

When they arrived inside, they saw the three kids waiting for them, the half-elf tapping his foot impatiently. "Hey, what took you both so long? We were wondering if you were ever going to get in here!" he shouted with weak exasperation, throwing his heads up over his shoulders.

"I'm sorry about that. I merely had Lloyd provide me with a report of what had happened from when we were split apart up until now. After hearing his statement, I've decided to let him go without the minimum punishment this time." he said, turning his head to the teen; he revealed a hidden smirk that only Lloyd could see, and his saddened face cheered up a bit.

"Thank you, Sensei." he said, bowing his head. "Shall we be going?"

"Well… We are supposed to go straight because that is where the altar is," Colette began, turning her head towards the blocked passage, "but that way is now closed off. I think that's because of the trial though, so don't worry!" she smiled happily anyway as she turned and pointed to the right. "We need to go this way!" she giggled out.

"Okay! Let's go!" Tana shouted now as well, as both girls linked arms and began to skip happily along. The males simply sighed heavily.

_If she is my sister, I need to get her away from the Chosen – her blondness is affecting her…_ Lloyd thought, lowering his shaking head towards the ground.

_Hmm… Why should I be surprised at this display? She did grow up with the Chosen, if she is my Tana… _Kratos mused, bringing his hand rather close to his face.

_Oh brother, here they go again… I hope they don't fall this time…_ Genis inwardly sighed once again, covering up his thoughts with a plastered grin.

But suddenly, the three heard a high-pitched scream.

"Tana!" Lloyd shouted suddenly, unsheathing his swords; he dashed down the hallway to where the two girls were. Colette was standing, her chakrams in her hands. Tana however, sat on the ground, her hands close to her face and her feet scrunched up to her chest; she was shaking feverishly. "What's wrong?" he asked, seeing the only monster around.

A mere spider…

"T-That! Somebody g-get rid of it, p-please!" she pleaded hysterically; Lloyd stared at the girl with both widened eyes and a raised eyebrow – she was afraid of this stupid spider?

"Humph." he grunted, slashing the creature horizontally, cutting it in half. He then went a little further as he angled his sword so the point faced the floor. "Demon Fang!" he shouted, creating an energy blast that finished the spider off. After sheathing his swords, he felt something cling to his back.

"Thank you, Lloyd… I…do not like spiders… They are… so creepy looking…" she shuddered at the thought, releasing the teen. She watched Lloyd as he turned toward the two.

"Are either of you hurt?" he asked with narrowed eyes, despite not being angry. "If not, we should continue on." he caught sight of her light blush and inwardly grinned. _I can use that to my advantage, if she IS our Tana – Dad will have to let me tell her so she can get over her crush of me._ "Don't worry – I've got both of you covered." he said with a smile to the two girls, who tried once again to hide their blushing. Lloyd led the group down the rest of the hallway, the other three children behind him.

Kratos stood in the back – both to serve as a guard for their back and to enjoy the scene between the children. _Lloyd's protectiveness of her is going to get him in trouble… I have to get him to stop being that way with her…_ he sighed as they stopped to look at the ring floating several feet away.

"There's the Sorcerer's Ring!" Colette shouted merrily.

Tana looked at it with intrigue. "So that's the Sorcerer's Ring?"

"What, you mean this is your first time into the temple?" Lloyd asked casually, his hands by the hilts of his swords. "I thought as sister to the Chosen, you would be granted access inside this temple."

The girl shook her head. "Just because I'm the sister of Colette that does not provide me excuse to enter the temple. And since I'm not a priestess, nor a Chosen," she said, her head turning away, "I have no reason to enter whenever I please. Father cannot enter without permission as well." She finished, receiving a solemn nod from the teen.

Kratos turned his head and noticed the blond Chosen looking at a stone golem, and gritted his teeth as he sighed. "Look out!" he yelled and charged towards it, causing the others to react. Tana quickly attached one of her daggers to her glaive pole and ran after her twin as he brandished his swords.

"Demon Fang!" she shouted as she twirled her glaive across the floor, creating the shockwave. It temporarily stunned the golem long enough for Genis to finish his spell.

"Lightning!" he chanted, raising his kendema into the air as the lightning bolt hit the rock.

Kratos slashed thrice at the walking stone, causing it to stagger just before it managed to slam it's gigantic fists onto the ground; he spun on impulse and slashed with an upwards stroke, swiftly bringing the point of his blade into the solid rock. "Sonic Thrust!" As he pulled his sword from the creature, it turned into a block… of rock.

"Oh no! It became a rock block!" Colette said with concern, earning a chuckle from the two twins.

"Colette, it was always a rock," Tana giggled, dragging Colette away from the boulder, "but what do we do with it?"

"I'd be more concerned on how it got here," Lloyd sighed lightly as he looked at the two girls walking towards him, turning his head away as a light blush had come across his face (which he had no idea why), "but I guess that's no longer a concern." he watched as Kratos started looking down through the platform, rubbing his chin in thought. "Sensei, do you have an idea?"

"I might, but then that would lead to another thought…" he began as he pushed the block to the left, causing it to fall into the hole. Moments later, another golem magically appeared. "Just as I thought."

Quite a few golems later, they marched back up the stairwell with the Sorcerer's Ring in hand. Genis, hearing an eerie, familiar laughter, hurried the group to the blocked doorway, opened it, and rushed them to the warp pad.

"Genis, why did we need to rush?" Colette asked innocently, looking at the half-elf. Receiving nary a response, she simply guessed it was something that he could not say. Walking towards the altar where her Cruxis Crystal floated mid-air, she bowed her head and began to pray.

Then they all watched as a holy light began to shine and a ball descended from that light. A form took shape, revealing a white-winged angel. They gasped in shock; the Oracle was commencing!

"I am Remiel, an angel of Cruxis, sent to guide you on your journey through the world of Sylvarant." he paused as he pushed the Cruxis Crystal gently to her, attaching itself onto her neck. "Now you shall be known as the Chosen of Regeneration. The Tower of Salvation shall be placed upon the world of Sylvarant, as a sign to all of the beginning of your journey." he said, spreading his arms out. Instantly, they turned around and looked out of the window.

"Whoa! The Tower of Salvation! Now the world will be saved!" Genis shouted, jumping up and down.

"Yes, it will. I have faith in Colette." Tana smiled back at the girl, whose fake smile hid her true feelings…

"Now Chosen," Remiel ordered, "head to the temples and break the seals therein, releasing the Summon Spirits from their sleep so the world's mana will increase. Then step forth into the tower to awaken the Goddess." he instructed, watching as she bowed her head in acceptance.

"Of course, Lord Remiel," she said when she sharply raised her head. "Please wait for a moment! Are you my fa-?" she paused, deciding that the thought was a foolish one.

"Remember – release the seals at the gates of the Summon Spirits, Colette… my daughter." Remiel replied with half a snide, which was not caught by most. Colette grew flustered at the scene and quickly bowed her head.

"Of course, Father!" she shouted as he ascended back into the heavens. Tana ran up to the girl and dragged her over to where the rest stood.

"Colette, congratulations!" she shouted, hugging the girl. "Now that the Oracle was conveyed, we should head back to the village." Tana watched as Kratos grabbed Colette's hand gently as he led her to the warp pad.

"I will take her back immediately, if you do not mind. Lloyd, watch after the remaining two." he commanded as they left, noticing the teen nod his head.

"Of course, Sensei." he replied, turning his attention to Genis and Tana. _Great,_ he thought, _leave me to the kid and the girl who is most likely my sister… _he inwardly sighed. _I have to endure not being able to tell her of me. I have to find a way to tell her without Dad knowing!_ "We should get going as well."

"Yeah." the girl smiled as she stepped onto the warp pad and disappeared. Lloyd was about to follow suit when he felt something grab onto his collar streams. Turning his head with slight annoyance, he stared at the half-elf.

"What?" he asked, his piercing stare returning onto his face. Genis looked away from his face, obviously startled.

"N-never mind. Let's go." he replied and walked off to the portal. Shaking his head, Lloyd simply followed him. As the trio went further to the exit, they were startled at seeing a strange figure in the center, their back facing them. She then whipped around, scaring both herself and the three behind her.

"Genis?! What are you doing here?!" Raine yelled in surprise, the boy inching slowly behind Lloyd. "And Tana, I'm shocked that I would see you here. And just who are you? You don't look like one of my students, but you shouldn't be here anyway. So I would suggest explaining to me in the next five seconds on why you are here before I take matters into my own hands." she said, tapping her foot as she crossed her arms.

Lloyd glared at her angrily. "I have been aiding the Chosen in the temple with my Sensei, who just took her back to the village after she completed her trial. I was told to watch over Tana and Genis by my Sensei." he watched as she rotated her head towards the door in thought.

"You speak of the auburn-haired man that I saw leave with Colette?" she said, watching him reply with a mere nod. "I see. That is good… I thought he might have taken her… I was about to chase after them when you came. I wish they had told me these things. Still, we better go after them." she said, reaching for the staff that was strapped onto her back. _I can just come back and study the temple later before I leave… _she thought as she scurried out the door. Not wanting her to get hurt, Tana and Genis ran after her, Lloyd sighing as he followed them.

_(--Back at Iselia…--)_

"Is this the one, Chosen?" Kratos asked the blond-haired girl, who nodded happily. They had just arrived into the village, and Colette led the man to her house. The first thing that caught his eye upon his arrival was a cage and pen in the back – which happened to be just barely visible to his trained eyes – and spotted the green and white "dog" inside of it.

Perhaps it was not just his son's wishful thinking after all…

Walking up the few steps that led to the front door, the two entered through the front door, catching sight of its two inhabitants sitting at the large table. He spotted the elderly woman from before and took a seat across from her. "I'm going to go upstairs for a bit of rest, okay?" Colette told them; after receiving a nod from Phaidra, she scurried up the stairs.

"I assume you are the one who is taking on the job of protecting my daughter, Colette?" Frank asked Kratos, who merely nodded his head. "You must be the mercenary Lloyd spoke of earlier – he gave a description while he was looking for you."

Kratos leaned back on the chair in thought, wondering how to word what he was about to say. "I was surprised that Colette was the Chosen and not Tana – she appears to be the older one." he threw out, hoping to snare the last bit of proof he needed. If this was his Tana, they should be mentioning…

Phaidra meanwhile had put a slight frown on her face. "Tana… she is not a Brunel at birth. I found her in the forest about fourteen years ago." she told the man, who had now inwardly flinched; it kept him every ounce of his strength just to keep himself from shaking.

She is our Tana… I… I have to keep her from joining us on the journey… for her sake… he thought as he closed his eyes. "Oh, I see… I did not know. How exactly did you find her, might I ask?" he said as innocently as possible – he did not want to lead these people into thinking something they could use against him.

Phaidra forced a smile on her wrinkled face, turning her head to Frank. "Dear, would you mind taking leave for a few moments?" she asked; getting up from his chair, Frank walked upstairs quietly, so he did not disturb the now sleeping Colette. "Now then… Where to begin…" she mused to herself, leaning forward onto her cane. "Ah, I know just the place…"

_(--Iselia Forest, Fourteen Years Ago…--)_

_I was walking through the Iselia Forest to retrieve some herbs for medicine I needed for that morning. However, I could not find the herbs that I wanted, so I went further into through the trees than I normally did. I spotted some tea leaves and went to pick them up when I heard a dog howling loudly. Shocked, I thought to run, but it sounded like it was in pain._

_So I followed the sound of the call and could not believe what I came across._

_A young girl crying on a woman's blood-stained back, and a canine-like creature watching over her. "Oh my goodness…" I gasped, dropping my basket onto the ground; tears began welling in my eyes. I walked silently towards her – as I did not want to scare the poor dear – and the dog walked over to me, making a slight growling noise. _

_Startled, she lifted her soggy head from her wet arms and looked at me with tear-stained eyes. There were blood stains on her forehead even though she looked fine, so I assumed that it was the woman's blood. "No Noishy!" she screamed at the creature, who now backed away from me._

_"You poor thing…" I sighed; I extended my hand, hoping that she would come and take hold of it. She merely stared at it. "What is wrong, little one?"_

_I watched with sorrow as more tears ran down her cheeks. "Daddy not here… no bwother too… And Mommy's not waking up…" she said, turning to the deceased woman. "I twy to wake Mommy, but she don't wake up…" she said as she wiped her nose on her sleeve. I could barely stand as my legs were shaking vigorously; I soon collapsed onto my knees, crying my heart out for her. "What wong?" she asked, sniffling._

_"You poor, poor darling… Your mother… she will have a long rest… A long, peaceful rest…" I said, wiping my eyes dry. I once again reached out to her, hoping that she would take my hand. "Please, take my hand, young one." I said, smiling softly as I tried to ignore the pain… the trembling pain in my chest…_

_"But Daddy say to stay still – he come to me!" she said with a sniff, "Bwother say so too!"_

_"I'm sorry… I don't see anyone here… Please, come with me – we need to get you to a safer place… Then we can go see if anyone has seen your daddy or brother, alright?" I told her again; luckily, she listened to me this time. "Do you know what your name is?"_

_She nodded her head. "Tawna…" she replied._

_"Tana?" I repeated, just to be sure. When she nodded her head, I know I was right. "Well then, Tana, let me carry you to the village to get cleaned up. Then we can get the men to search for your family." My last thought turned to the poor woman on the ground. "We should take your mother with us – we don't want the animals to attack her while she is sleeping…" I said; I could not live with the fact of telling this poor child that her mother was dead… just yet…_

_"'kay…" she replied, allowing me to pick her up; the dog did not feel the same way. _

_"Do not worry – I will not hurt her. Could I ask you to carry the mother?" I said to the dog; it (as I did not know the gender at the time) nodded its head and knelt to the ground. Carefully placing her on its back – while trying to ignore Tana's cries of "Don't wake Mommy!," it slowly stood up and walked with us back to the village._

_When we arrived, I told the guardsmen to search the area for a man and a young boy, and told them to get other men to help. Then we hurried to my house, where my son Frank and his daughter Colette waited for me to return. When he saw a child in my arms, he rushed over._

_"Mother, who is this girl?" Frank asked me. I placed her down onto the sofa and walked over to his ear, whispering the truths the girl should not hear. "Oh my…" he said, shaking his head. Luckily, Tana had ignored him._

_"Now come along, dear. Let's get you cleaned up." I said, leading her upstairs. After washing her, I placed her onto a bed, where she instantly fell asleep. The poor dear must have been exhausted…_

_I went back down the stairs, waiting for the guardsmen to arrive. A few hours later, they came and told me that they found no trace of either the man or the other child…_

_(--Back to the Present…--)_

"Since she had nowhere to go, she stayed with us." Phaidra finished, closing her eyes as a sigh escaped her aged mouth. "I merely hope that her family was not captured or killed. But since they were not found, I assume that they were captured by the Desians."

Kratos sat there quietly, his thoughts racing quickly. The facts were too obvious; there was little doubt now.

This was his Tana – his lost daughter… He had found her at last – but alas, it was far too late…

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_**Me:** Heheh. _n.n  
_**Lloyd:** What now?  
**Me**: Tana thinks you're handsome. _:D  
_**Tana:** W-well... You are, Lloyd! -blushes-  
**Lloyd:** Oh brother...  
**Tana:** Hee hee hee!  
**Me:** It's alright to think your relative is hot. But personally, the funniest thing about this story is the humorously implied twincest THAT WON'T really develop (as it WILL be one-sided _n.n_"). That doesn't mean I support incest. -shudders- It was just too much to pass up. Plus someone I know wanted me to make it that way, instead of making her go on 'gut feelings' not to fall in love with him. But of course, this will be Colloyd. Sorry Shelloyd readers, I just don't see it - I'll read it, but I don't see it. _n.n"  
_**Lloyd:** What? Well, when does she know? In the story, I mean.  
**Me:** Not for QUITE some time, Lloydie. Review please!_


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